The social divisions in contemporary culture – divisions of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic class, ability, gender, sexuality and more – threaten to tear apart communities. These divisions perpetuate injustice and provoke violence, shame, defensiveness and fear. This web of social problem has spiritual roots, and Christians have an opportunity to apply the spiritual tools of our faith tradition to bring a message and actions of healing and hope in a world often overcome by fear and hurt. As a white woman who grew up in a small southern town, as an affluent woman who now lives in the northeast and as the mother of a child with Down syndrome, Amy Julia Becker will share personal stories as well as biblical and theological reflection to invite participants to explore their own experiences of privilege and exclusion and the deeper privilege of connecting with others through our common humanity.

This webinar will offer congregations and pastors alike a way to address the challenging topic of privilege and social divisions with generosity, humility and hope. This webinar will be particularly useful in the context of predominantly white congregations with members who want to explore the concept of privilege and consider whether a loving response is possible.

Participants will:

Recognize what privilege is and how it functions in our culture.

Be able to identify the ways social divisions harm vulnerable people through the injustices of exclusion as well as the ways social divisions harm the very people they supposedly benefit .

Understand Jesus’ approach to social divisions and apply a model of healing to our broken world.

Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation is offering 50% scholarships for the first 20 registrants who live in the following states: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming, Email a copy of your paid registration to [email protected] and OPSF will reimburse you $15 of your webinar fee.

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